Glass pressing apparatus



Nov. 24, 1964 A. CARMI ETAL GLASS PRESSING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1961 Ll 5 3 W 2 an .JH

47m w A ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,158,391 GLASS PRES1NG APPTU Ariel: {Jar-mi and Thomas J. Rayeslri, (Iorning, N.Y., assignnrs to Corning Glass Works, Corning, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 160,836 2 Claims. (Ci. 287l30) The present invention relates to glass pressing apparatus and is particularly concerned with the provision of a coupling between a pressing head adapter and pressing plunger adapter that during a pressing operation adjusts itself to minor lateral misalignment of the mold and a pressing plunger entering it, and for minor deviations of the plane of alignment between the plunger and the mold, so that assurance is had that the vertical axes of the plunger and mold coincide thus assuring of uniformity of the thickness of an article along its entire boundary, as is particularly important when thin articles such as dinner plates and the like are to be pressed.

According to the invention a coupling is provided between a pressing head adapter and a pressing plunger adapter that embodies mating spherical surfaces and a resilient assembly wherein during a pressing operation the plunger is enabled to not only slightly shift in any necessary lateral direction to correct for slight misalignment of the mold and plunger, but moveover is enabled to adjust itself as necessary to correct for any minor deviation of the plane of alignment between the mold and plunger.

For a detailed description of the invention reference may now be had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a detail.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is illustrated a plunger 11, having access to a mold 10, and coupled to an actuating rod 12 for moving such plunger into and out of such mold in a pressing operation.

The coupling between rod 12 and mold comprises a pressing head adapter 21 rigidly secured to a socket 22 by means of screws such as 23 and arranged within a cylindrical cavity of a pressing plunger adapter 24. Four keyways such as 25 in socket 22 are occupied by loosely fitting guide keys such as 26 secured to the surrounding pressing plunger adapter 24 by screws such as 27.

Within the cavity of the pressing plunger adapter 24 and immediately below and in engagement with the spherical under surface 28 of socket 22 is a spherical plate 30 whose upper surface 29 matches the spherical surface 28 of socket 22. Plate or member 30 is supported upon a thrust plate or an assembly such as shown in FIG. 4 comprising the top one of two elements consisting of steel washers 32 and 33 between which there are arranged a sandwich composed of a relatively thin steel washer 34 between washers 35 and 36 of resilient material, with the respective parts preferably bonded to one another. Plate member 30 is tightly and resiliently held against socket 22 by being held, along with such assembly, between such socket and four springs such as 31, arranged in cups such as 37 threaded into the underside of the cavity bottom wall of the pressing head adapter 24, suitable spring seats such as 38 being interposed between each spring and the washer 33.

The socket 22 is held against upward movement with respect to the pressing plunger adapter 24 by a washer.

' member 40 having a spherical under surface 41 matching the annular spherical surface 42 of the socket 22 and by a pressrng plunger adapter cap 44 secured to the top end of the pressing plunger adapter by means of screws such as 45 passed through the cap 44 and threaded into the top end wall of the pressing plunger adapter.

The plunger 11 is secured to the underside of the pressmg plunger head adapter 24 by means of cap screws such as 50. Passages 51 and 52 in the adapter 24 provide for the circulation of a cooling fluid through plunger 11.

With the foregoing arrangement it will be seen that the plunger head adapter 24 is coupled to the pressing head adapter 21 through the medium of the oppositely disposed spherical surfaces 28 and 29 of socket 22 and plate 30, respectively, and between the spherical surfaces 41 and 42 of such socket and Washer 40, respectively. Because of such coupling when pressure is brought to bear on the plunger it is free to adjust itself to a position in which its axis is normal to the axial center of the mold. Moreover, the plunger is able to adjust itself in a horizontal plane to center itself with the mold by sliding on the horizontal parallel surfaces between cap 44 and washer 40 and between the spherical plate 30 and washer 32, respectively. Furthermore the presence of the resilient washers 35 and 36 in the coupling at the same time permit an additional slight radial movement of the plunger in any direction necessary for proper alignment with the mold after the plunger has entered it and full force has been applied.

Although the invention has been described with reference to one particular embodiment, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coupling between a pressing head adapter and a plunger, a pressing plunger adapter having a lower end for attachment to a plunger with an upper end embodying an open topped cavity, a socket for attachment to a pressing head adapter arranged within such cavity having a spherical under surface and an oppositely disposed annular spherical surface of like radii, an annular member having a spherical under surface mating with the upper spherical surface of said socket, an annular cap for the plunger adapter cavity preventing the withdrawal of said annular member and said socket from its cavity, a plate member having a top spherical surface mated with the under surface of said socket, an annular support assembly embodying resilient material upon which said plate rests, and resilient members embodied in a portion of said plunger adapter below the cavity therein and bearing against the underside of said assembly.

2. A coupling as in claim 1 in which lateral clearances are provided between the cavity defining wall of the plunger adapter and the socket and between such wall and the assembly which enable lateral movement of the plunger with respect to the pressing head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 687,563 Hendrick Nov. 26, 1901 1,436,265 Kingsbury et al Nov. 21, 1922 2,767,564 Green Oct. 23, 1956 2,778,647 Benjamin et a1. Jan. 22, 1957 2,845,551 Potter July 29, 1958 2,966,006 Sherts et a1. Dec. 27, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 901,628 France Nov. 13, 1944 

1. IN A COUPLING BETWEEN A PRESSING HEAD ADAPTER AND A PLUNGER, A PRESSING PLUNGER ADAPTER HAVING A LOWER END FOR ATTACHMENT TO A PLUNGER WITH AN UPPER END EMBODYING AN OPEN TOPPED CAVITY, A SOCKET FOR ATTACHMENT TO A PRESSING HEAD ADAPTER ARRANGED WITHIN SUCH CAVITY HAVING A SPHERICAL UNDER SURFACE AND AN OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ANNULAR SPHERICAL SURFACE OF LIKE RADII, AN ANNULAR MEMBER HAVING A SPHERICAL UNDER SURFACE MATING WITH THE UPPER SPHERICAL SURFACE OF SAID SOCKET, AN ANNULAR CAP FOR THE PLUNGER ADAPTER CAVITY PREVENTING THE WITHDRAWAL OF SAID ANNULAR MEMBER AND SAID SOCKET FROM ITS CAVITY, A PLATE MEMBER HAVING A TOP SPHERICAL SURFACE MATED WITH THE UNDER SURFACE OF SAID SOCKET, AN ANNULAR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY EMBODYING RESILIENT MATERIAL UPON WHICH SAID PLATE RESTS, AND RESILIENT MEMBERS EMBODIED IN A PORTION OF SAID PLUNGER ADAPTER BELOW THE CAVITY THEREIN AND BREARING AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID ASSEMBLY. 